This time when I revisited Bombay, I did my usual marine drive walk from the start to the end clicking pictures of the sky changing colours. Those who have been to Marine Drive are quite aware of the street kids who sell flowers to the couples, water bottles to the thirsty and some eatables to be snacked.
In my regular photo session, I asked a bunch of kids selling flowers to pose for me. They were more than happy to do it for me. They really enjoyed being clicked and thanks to digital nature of the camera, they could see their own pictures in my camera.
This activity went on for quite a time. Then one of those kids offered me a flower (in lieu of all the photos I clicked) to which I replied that it was of no use to me. Then the other kid (whom I had clicked Dabang style, giving my sunglasses and asking him to hold his belt) asked whether I liked any girl around in the marine drive. I jokingly pointed at the girl sitting very close to us. Well, she did look pretty. Before I could say that I was joking, all of them ran to the girl and offered her a flower each. The girl was taken aback and shouted "nahi chahiye (I don't want it)". then came the coolest part when all of them in unison shouted "le lo free hai (take it, its free)". Before they could point at me or giggle while looking at me or admit that I, with the camera, was the culprit for those flowers, I ran immediately and apologised to the girl stating it was all a joke and emphasied that they were kids and I was to be blamed. She understood and said "nahi theek hai (Its OK)".
She accepted one of the flowers. The first thing that came to my mind was that had I done this in Delhi, I would have surely been beaten. Later I sat with the girl and talked for quite some time. She told me that she had noticed me clicking the kids in all poses. She loved the dabangg pose as it was the cutest. Later she asked me what did I do. I told her all about my boring managerial profession in the most interesting way I could. And when I asked her what she did, I was startled to be informed that she was one of the sex-workers from Grant Road!
No wonder, I consider Bombay my love and Delhi my wife....
In my regular photo session, I asked a bunch of kids selling flowers to pose for me. They were more than happy to do it for me. They really enjoyed being clicked and thanks to digital nature of the camera, they could see their own pictures in my camera.
This activity went on for quite a time. Then one of those kids offered me a flower (in lieu of all the photos I clicked) to which I replied that it was of no use to me. Then the other kid (whom I had clicked Dabang style, giving my sunglasses and asking him to hold his belt) asked whether I liked any girl around in the marine drive. I jokingly pointed at the girl sitting very close to us. Well, she did look pretty. Before I could say that I was joking, all of them ran to the girl and offered her a flower each. The girl was taken aback and shouted "nahi chahiye (I don't want it)". then came the coolest part when all of them in unison shouted "le lo free hai (take it, its free)". Before they could point at me or giggle while looking at me or admit that I, with the camera, was the culprit for those flowers, I ran immediately and apologised to the girl stating it was all a joke and emphasied that they were kids and I was to be blamed. She understood and said "nahi theek hai (Its OK)".
She accepted one of the flowers. The first thing that came to my mind was that had I done this in Delhi, I would have surely been beaten. Later I sat with the girl and talked for quite some time. She told me that she had noticed me clicking the kids in all poses. She loved the dabangg pose as it was the cutest. Later she asked me what did I do. I told her all about my boring managerial profession in the most interesting way I could. And when I asked her what she did, I was startled to be informed that she was one of the sex-workers from Grant Road!
No wonder, I consider Bombay my love and Delhi my wife....
6 comments :
interesting read- "stranger than fiction" -- you should share the pics of Dhabang style poses...
Yes, pictures of the kids! And you do meet quite interesting characters.
Should have shared this over drinks :D
muaahaaa to this one.....
Love, after you have a wife, is called mistress, Mr. Chandra :P
You live a spectacular life...intuitive, introspective and whimsical... loved this post and the one before that.
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